Jeremiah Augustus "Gus" Henderson

Jeremiah Augustus (“Gus”) Henderson was a businessman and captain of the Confederate army from Gainers Store, Alabama [Troy 1838-2006. Rice, Bill Sr.] . His sons include Charles Henderson, former governor of Alabama, and Fox Henderson, a successful banking and business entrepreneur.

Early life

Jeremiah Augustus (“Gus”) Henderson was born June 12, 1832, in Gainers Store, Alabama (now Henderson, Alabama). He spent his childhood and teenage years helping out in the store owned by his parents, Eli and Mary Darby Henderson. This early exposure to business would have a profound effect on his adulthood: As Henderson grew up, he expanded his businesses and gained a reputation for both his leadership skills and his business savvy [ One Hundred Fifty Years in Pike County, Alabama 1821-1971.Farmer, Margaret, 1973.] .

The Civil War

As tensions built between the North and the South, Henderson was chosen as one of three delegates to represent Pike County at Alabama’s state secession convention. Henderson, a member of the Whig party, was personally opposed to secession, but he acted in accordance with his constituents and voted in favor of secession from the Union [Troy 1838-2006. Rice, Bill Sr.] . Alabama officially seceded from the Union on January 11, 1861. A few months later, the Civil War began after Confederate troops attacked Fort Sumter in North Carolina. Unsure of the future, Henderson sold all of his businesses and invested the money in land before joining the Confederate Army. Henderson was a captain in the 57th Alabama Infantry Unit, Company B [Trojan Influence. Rice, William J.] ; he remained in the Confederate Army throughout the duration of the war [Troy 1838-2006. Rice, Bill Sr.] .

Return to Pike County

After the Civil War ended, Henderson returned home to Gainers Store. He began farming on some of his land, and he opened a mercantile store with $550 of his father’s money [Trojan Influence. Rice, William J.] . His business expanded rapidly, and Henderson found it difficult to transport and receive shipments by wagon. In 1869, Henderson moved his mercantile business to the nearby city of Troy, Alabama to be closer to the Mobile and Girard Railroad. Henderson quickly became one of the most successful (and wealthiest) businessmen in southeastern Alabama [Trojan Influence. Rice, William J.] ; his trade extended beyond Troy to other parts of Alabama and Florida.

Family Life

Gus Henderson married Mildred Elizabeth (“Millie”) Hill when he was 21 years old. The couple had seven children, including future Alabama governor Charles Henderson and future Troy business leader Fox Henderson [Troy 1838-2006. Rice, Bill Sr.] .

Jeremiah “Gus” Henderson died suddenly on April 6, 1877. He was 46 years old. He is buried with his wife, Mildred, in Oakwood Cemetery in Troy, Alabama [Troy 1838-2006. Rice, Bill Sr.] . Henderson’s direct descendants living today include Jeremiah Augustus (“Jere”) Henderson II and Jeremiah Augustus (“Jeremy”) Henderson III.

References